Building Bridges

The 2026 NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit

By Ben Reyes, Senior Manager of Member Programs

Networking, leadership training, and music education advocacy were on the agenda for this past June’s NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit. Since its inception in 2014—then called the Collegiate Advocacy Summit—the Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit has brought together hundreds of NAfME Collegiate members from institutions all over the country. Nearly 60 colleges and universities were represented at this year’s event with 97 music students registered for the Summit. This year’s Summit was once again held in Reston, Virginia, and focused on a central theme: Building Bridges.

“The experience I gained through the sessions, simply talking to other collegiates, and advocating for music education on the national level will never be forgotten. I feel changed as an educator and as a person, for the better.”—Lauren E. Rindt, San Diego State University 

The Summit attendees spent three days together engaged in sessions on music education advocacy, storytelling, leadership philosophy, and chapter best practices. The event included a special panel presentation featuring Dr. Lance Nielsen (Executive Director, Nebraskans for the Arts), Danielle Shaub (President, Ohio Music Education Association), and Dr. Sara Womack (Supervisor for General and Choral Music, Dance, and Theatre, Cobb County School District, Cobb County, Georgia). Additional guest speakers included NAfME President Cecil Adderley, NAfME Immediate Past President Scott Sheehan, and an exciting networking opportunity with NAfME’s National Executive Board. 

A highlight of the event was the opportunity for Summit attendees to work together in divisions to develop methods to build better connections (or “bridges”) within their respective NAfME divisions and beyond. Tasked with developing actionable steps and practical solutions, each division worked together to create plans to enact within their own divisions, such as: 

• Holding business meetings and networking events at state conferences 

• Encouraging chapters to live stream events and invite viewers from across the division 

• Using communication apps such as BAND or GroupMe to create division-wide communication channels 

• Focusing on state-to-state leadership connections  

• Leveraging social media to share district-wide events and celebrations

“[The Summit] was really engaging and really inspirational: The idea that ‘advocacy doesn’t have to start tomorrow’ really stuck with me and is something I plan to bring home to my fellow Collegiates.”—Rowyn Belt, University of Nebraska Omaha 

As NAfME Collegiate membership continues to grow—with more than 500 new members this past year—so, too, does the impact of the NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit. The event is held alongside the annual NAfME National Leadership Assembly, a gathering of the nation’s leaders in music education from each state. Summit attendees interacted with these leaders by attending division leadership meetings, the State of the Association address, and the annual Roll Call.

These opportunities allow the collegiates a seat at the table—their voice an equal amongst giants in the profession. The students leave the experience with professional contacts, an expanded perspective on leadership opportunities, and a deeper understanding of ways they can make an impact in their own chapters and communities.  

“I think it was an incredible experience that hopefully every leader in collegiate can do once to learn about important leadership techniques, networking, belonging, and bringing awareness to the arts.”—Kayla Wallace, University of Nevada, Reno 

On the final day of the Summit, all attendees headed to Capitol Hill, joining their state’s delegation as they met with federal legislators to advocate for music education during NAfME’s annual Hill Day. NAfME’s advocacy team provided training webinars, resources, and other materials to more than 300 attendees. With more than 240 meetings scheduled for Hill Day, each Summit attendee had the opportunity to experience firsthand the impact of their voice at the highest offices in the nation.  

“I felt like this was a perfect experience to get to know new people, get to have an impactful say in politics, and to represent the people within my university.”—Aaron Robinson, Ball State University 

This event would not be possible without the support of the NAfME National Executive Board and the Collegiate Advisory Council, with special thanks to Kati Cox (Co-Chair, NAfME Collegiate Advisory Council), Steve Kelly (Co-Chair, NAfME Collegiate Advisory Council), and NAfME President Cecil Adderley.

Please enjoy the recap video below of this year’s event and contact collegiate@nafme.org(opens in new tab) with questions about the NAfME Collegiate Leadership Advocacy Summit. Visit the NAfME Collegiate(opens in new tab) webpage and follow the program on Facebook(opens in new tab) and Instagram(opens in new tab) for additional information about the NAfME Collegiate program.